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Mobile robot and travelling method for the same

  • US 9,162,355 B2
  • Filed: 12/02/2010
  • Issued: 10/20/2015
  • Est. Priority Date: 12/03/2009
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
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1. A mobile robot, including a plurality of wheels suspended from a main body of the mobile robot and configured to travel on a floor surface, a drive mechanism configured to rotate the wheels, and a drive controller configured to control the drive mechanism, comprising:

  • actuators provided to adjust a distance between the mobile robot and the wheels thereof;

    a suspension control unit configured to control the actuators;

    a sensor configured to detect steps on the floor surface; and

    a step prediction unit configured to predict the time at which a step, including at least one of a bump and a pit, makes contact with the wheels, and to predict a speed of the mobile robot;

    wherein the suspension control unit is configured to control the actuators to shift a center of gravity of the mobile robot from the center of the mobile robot opposite to the direction in which the mobile robot inclines when the mobile robot passes over the step as a wheel of the mobile robot that makes contact with the step, then to shift the center of gravity of the mobile robot in the reverse direction then to shift the center of gravity of the mobile robot back to the center of the mobile robot after both wheels have passed over the step, andwherein the suspension control unit is configured to adjust an amount of shift of the center of gravity of the mobile robot according to an interval of time, as predicted by the step prediction unit, at which the wheel and the another wheel make contact with a bump or pit.

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